The Game Shop

Jounouchi darted into the shop, demanding the code. Yuugi still dazed, let him in. Jounouchi shouted for Mai, while everyone else was . . . slow.

Destiny, their pet cat, walked past them and jumped on the game counter, while someone who never would have let that cat on there. Stood. As a spirit, yet clear enough for them to see.

"G-?" Yuugi closed his eyes a second and opened them again. The man who raised him. The man who spent the most time with him. The one who shared with him everything he knew about life and games. "Grandpa."

"Yuugi." He nodded toward him, and Atem. "And Yuugi." He smiled. "Everything is fine now, what you did, the kingdom was freed. When you and Yuugi return much later on, you'll have a new kingdom waiting for you. No worries. Thank you."

Atem nodded. "I'm glad your back."

"I'm sorry for the circumstances. There was a nice cat god that thought this time was hard enough, and it should be shared with someone once cared for." He moved from the counter. On it, was a long box of red velvet and gold trim. On top were the engravings everyone could read as God's Game- Mankind's Last Chance. "Open it. They are the wins and losses for the god game, written out by Thoth himself I've been told. I am here for questions needing answers and support."

"Grandpa," almost everyone said at once.

"Where's Honda?" Jounouchi asked right away. "Is he okay? Will Mai be okay?"

"Read this first, Jounouchi, and then we can talk," Grandpa insisted. "This is more than a shadow game."

Atem took one side of the latched box while Yuugi took the other. They opened it and looked in. There were now two boxes, one in black and one in red. The black had the name Winnings on it, while the red had the name Losings.

Atem opened the black box and there were small black envelopes with the word winnings. Inside of them felt like memo-sized cards. He took it out and waited for Yuugi to open the red box to take out his small red enveloped memo cards.

"Don't open the little envelopes. Read off the names in full first," Grandpa insisted. "There's a small list between the boxes. Every written player has been forced into this game. If the one written down doesn't play, the game is forfeited."

Atem nodded as he reached for the small list between. It was the only thing below the box. "Players: Nameless Spirit Trapped In Man." He sighed lightly after reading that. "Nameless Spirit Trapped in Woman, Yuugi of the Mutoh family, Katsuya and Shizuka of the Jounouchi family, Anzu of the Mazaki family, Seto of the Kaiba family, and Bakura The Bandit King."

"Yep. Now, pass out everyone's cards and leave the others there," Grandpa said. "You can choose to tell what your cards are, or not. Just sign the card inside, and put it back in it's box within the envelope." He smiled at Yuugi. "I promise, we'll all get to talk a little bit soon, okay?"

Yuugi shook his head. He had to do his duty first.

"What?!" Jounouchi shot upstairs after looking at his card, only to shoot back downstairs to relook at it. "This contract is shit. It's giving him Mai?" He read his part out loud. "Set will be awarded a new wife, Mai Kujaku, with a special child, Mana, that was once a sorceress. She'll enable him to leave wherever he wants." He slammed his fist into the wall. "Those cats want to give my family away!" He grabbed at his neck where Sekhmet bit him.

"Jounouchi." Atem tried to be as delicate as possible. "If you don't. This is the end of humanity. I don't . . . have any tricks up my sleeve. I don't have any power. I don't have the puzzle."

"Man." Jounouchi looked at the lists. He looked at the winnings. "I don't care if I get powers bestowed upon me with a guaranteed good afterlife. That's nothing to me. Not compared to what I can lose."

"Which is all of humanity if we don't all agree on this," Atem repeated.

"How can I say yes?" Jounouchi shook his head. "How can I say no? How can I say anything? This is my baby girl I never got to know. The woman . . . I never got to marry." He grabbed his head. "This gods game is bullshit!"

"Jounouchi." Grandpa spoke up. "You are putting your all on the line. It's not your life this time, it's your happiness. This isn't something you have a choice in though. Your happiness versus the end of humanity. Can you just throw up your hands and give up? That's not the Jounouchi I ever remembered."

Jounouchi jiggled his leg. "I would have put up my own life, hell, my own afterlife. I'd wash everybody's feet every day for eternity if they didn't pick this. I don't get a choice though. I get that." He took his sleeve and wiped at his eye slightly. "They either go with him or die with everybody else." He looked toward the boxes. "Those really fancy hieroglyphic gold pens for signing."

"Yes. Sign each card and put them in their box," Grandpa assured him.

"Are we sure we can't choose what we lose?" Jounouchi asked. "There's not, is there?" No. He wrote on the cards, stuffed them back in the envelopes and tossed them in, along with tossing the pen down in the main box.

Anzu took the pen and went ahead and signed both her winning and losing cards, fast, not sharing what it said. However, she looked angry and miserable. She put her cards in. Masika did the same. Neither sharing what they would win or lose.

"We will eventually tell," Masika said. "We don't plan on hiding it, but we need time, so leave us alone."

Atem and Yuugi both nodded, each of them looking at their own cards.

Set is getting the eternal souls of both Atem. We'll be his servants?

We'll be whatever he wants. I will also lose my god and goddess.

The cat goddesses, Other Me?

I don't think so. After I depart this world, I may have been able to summon the gods again.

Mine says that too.

We are both Atem, Other Me. Everything seems the same for each of us.

Yuugi and Atem both signed their cards, put them back in their envelopes and put them in.

"Great!" Grandpa put down the box lid. "Kaiba and Shizuka will come later, probably tomorrow. If you give the ring to Bakura, he can find him. The goddesses will come in time. You have about twenty four hours before it's collected for good." Then he grinned. "Yuugi!"

"Grandpa!" Now he could talk. It probably wouldn't be long. "How have you been?"

"I am doing okay, Yuugi. I'm out of the empires," he smiled. "I'm? I'm happy. Don't worry about me, I'm just worried about you now. How are you doing?"

"Missed you," Yuugi admitted. "Especially with what I heard. You're okay?"

"Better than okay." He looked toward Atem. "I promise. No standing around and rejecting chairs for me. When everything is all fixed, you'll be so busy, there will hardly be time to even sit."

"That is how it should have been," Atem said. Although there was something to grandpa's look. Hm. "I'm glad you escaped, Grandpa. You do look better."

"Yes. Now? You two be gentle to everybody involved, whether they tell you their winnings or losses or not. I am here for support, for a little while. So? I know all of them. Um. I would visit Jounouchi, but I'm sure he doesn't want to hear from me right now."

"Yeah." Jounouchi went straight to Mai. "They can just take whichever room," Yuugi insisted. "We can't afford to lose."

"No, you can't. You really can't. You really, really can't," his grandfather answered. "Honestly? I don't know which one would have been better. There is so much at risk. I trust you and Atem, I know you are going to do your best. But. If it had just been the end of everything, then that would be it. There will be major consequences if you lose, so you have to win at any cost! I came down personally from my happiness, something I didn't want to do. A part of me is a little scared that I won't get back," he admitted. "But? I wanted you to hear from me when it comes down to this." He smiled at the the both of them. "If you win? Both of you are going to be okay. Better than okay, I'm sure you'll be fine! Past the shock of it all."

"The world as it is," Yuugi had to ask. "Even if we win, we never really win." Yuugi rubbed his mouth. "I really, really want to believe we're in some giant game again. Bakura was good at making us believe we were in Egypt."

"No," Atem corrected Yuugi. "Zorc did, not Bakura."

"Yuugi. You are now out of the Modern World Era," his grandpa said. "If you win, you'll be in the Shared Dynasty. It's a big change, but look at you. You've been a man for some time. And? Well, if your old grandpa would have just listened a little harder-"

"It was bound to happen, Grandpa, don't think about it," Yuugi corrected him. "Everyone was in trouble. I'm just glad you didn't have to see the world like this." He left when it was still peaceful. "Thank you for everything."

"I'll see you both again one day. One day hopefully much further away," he noted. "Win. Both of you will have to be the best King of Games. The main game, I've been told, is based off a combination of games in this shop." He looked around. "Now? I need to see the young ladies."

"You really have to go?" Yuugi asked. He nodded. "It wasn't a long visit, but . . . thanks. Thanks for everything." Yuugi wiped his eyes. "I love you, Grandpa. You. You be happy."

"You be strong, you be smart, and you be happy too. Both of you. Also? Be very nice and kind and decent to your young women. They have a difficult choice ahead," Grandpa noted as he started to disappear. "And for gosh sakes, get some basic duel cards back in here! You're losing money!"

Yuugi just smiled and waited for the sound of his grandpa startling the girls. "That wasn't a good idea, Grandpa."

Atem just smirked. "He is much better after all." He looked back toward the box. "All that is left is Kaiba, Jounouchi's sister, and Ryou Bakura." They would have to speak with Ryou Bakura.

A Couple Minutes Earlier in Anzu's Room

Anzu and Masika both shared a bed. Not really saying anything, but feeling comforted by each other's presence.

"Now. When the world is almost destroyed. Why do I have to decide this?" Anzu tightened her grip on Masika's hand. "Not only that, it's not even just . . . What am I . . . it's a . . . I don't know what to think, Satiah."

"I'm not Masika. I'm not Satiah. I'm not Rider." Masika went in a different direction. "Both of us are the tear. Masika. I am what she called me, a Nameless Spirit Trapped In A Body."

"Which makes you like me," Anzu said. "Alive."

She laid her head down. "The gods Sekhmet and Bastet are right, they aren't each other. One wasn't named Hathor. Hathor of Hathor."

Anzu nodded. This was okay. A huge weight was bearing down on them, it would be good to focus on something smaller. "What do you want?"

"I am a spirit with a body. A part of me once laid in this body, but only a part. I still feel more like a spirit. I don't think I will ever be able to forget the good or the bad of being a spirit. I can't. Ever. Just be." She shrugged. "That's okay I guess. That's?" She seemed edgy.

Hmm. "What?"

"That is distracting us from the point," she told Anzu. "He was good to us once."

Anzu turned away. "No."

"Anzu. We were once the same. When we joined together, in just that few seconds-"

Anzu curled away. "It hurt so much-"

"But we saw and remembered too," Satiah said. "I did. I know who Heba had been. Heba was the first wife's daughter of our last husband that we raised since almost her birth."

"I don't want to talk about it," Anzu insisted. "I don't want to remember. I'm Anzu, just Anzu. None of those memories, I don't want them. I barely remember them anyhow. So, don't. It's not me. I could feel how much it wasn't me, it's like invading a personal life against your will."

"I know. We each saw many things." Anzu refused to turn to look at her again. "We each . . . did what we had to, to survive. Thanks to Bakura, we were able to. Thanks to our first-"

"Shut up, don't! I don't want to go there." Anzu brought her hands together and then pushed them outward. "Never."

"Fate has pushed us here, Anzu," Satiah said tenderly. "We must decide."

"No one ever gets in this position. Ever," Anzu corrected her. "I just . . ." She closed her eyes as tears started to fill them. When I saw Yuugi again, everything flipped on its head. Everything I had wanted, I no longer wanted. All that time, growing and surviving and failing. Over and over and over. I was so close that one time, to just give in.

I know. That is why I spoke up. I will never forget that. It's not a regret, and he was nice. "This isn't the same though, Anzu," Satiah spoke out loud. "You were with him. You were with Yuugi. You were with many, and I didn't have to care. I wasn't there. I was in the soul room, I let you live your life. That's what I did."

Anzu never could be fine with it. Then I got adapted to everything. To the lower expectations life kept throwing at me. Then? Yuugi just came back. It was almost like a dream, his voice of light, penetrating all the darkness. He was still him. Still the Yuugi I grew up with. Still playing games. Still smiling innocently. Still an awkward boy in the weirdest situations, just older. A man. Yet . . . we did so much wrong. Not that it wasn't justified, but if he knew?

Who the **** cares?

Satiah, your words.

Sorry. I mean, it was a different time. I don't regret any of the decisions we had made. So? Sorry, but you must admit. You are acting like a little ***** right now.

Satiah!

Bakura is all I know.

"No," Anzu stated. "I. Just. Yuugi. Not this."

"Definitely this."

Kyaaa! Anzu yelled in surprise as Grandpa Mutoh appeared right in front of her. She grabbed at her chest. Unexpected guests weren't good for her heart just then. She tried to hide it. "Grandpa Mutoh. Hello."

"I know," Grandpa said to her. "Yes indeedy, I know. You're the first tear of humanity, torn apart and dealing with this fact between you. See, it's different, because Yuugi and Atem did it differently." He pointed to Anzu. "Don't get all scrunched up in a bind."

"Sure." He didn't really know. "Thanks for the advice. It's nice to see you again," Anzu said politely. "It's been a long time."

"Nice try," Grandpa winked. "I know more than just about the tear. I know what's going on, and I am here to make sure that you two don't do anything stupid like keep it to yourself."

"I didn't plan on it, Elderly man," Satiah answered. "I'm telling Bakura." She smiled. "No matter how it goes, no matter whether we win or we lose, we will have some precious moments of love come through our hearts before it all ceases to be."

"Aww." Grandpa smiled at Satiah. "That's sweet, except not quite the right choice. But? You keep that up for Anzu. She'll need that." He looked back at Anzu. "You keep her in check too. From spirit to person, it is not an easy task to do. She is still adapting. Ah, but how I wish I could hug you two." He held out his arms. "I guess this will have to do." Then, he was gone.

They both rested there for a moment, Anzu trying to cope. They heard their kitty Destiny scratch at the door.

Satiah got up and answered the door, letting Destiny in. "Good kitty." She closed the door. Destiny jumped up on the bed between Satiah and Anzu, curling up. On the top of Destiny's head was an odd hieroglyph. "That's strange. Did a goddess leave that on her?"

Satiah and Anzu both came closer to inspect her head. Each of them felt a scratch and searing pain.

Anzu felt her head as she looked on the mark on Satiah. "Ow. Right on the forehead."

"Sorry. At least it isn't a vicious bite like Sekhmet," Destiny spoke. "First tear or not, without a god's power of protection, you wouldn't survive and I'm tired of my cats constantly watching you for me." She put her claws back. "Decisions yet?"

"What is this human tear?" Anzu asked, ignoring the subject. "I mean, I get it. We're different. We're supposed to be together. Apparently. Very much so." She was trying. "But. What is a tear?"

"When a piece of Ra shed a tear for finding it's first children, after looking for so long, you dropped. Mankind was born from Ra's tears, but you were the first tear. Ra is not your father, you are not a goddess, you had no original mother or father, but you are the first of all humans, so Ra has always kept an extra close eye on you."

Satiah held up her hand. "I'm his favorite human? Is that the final reason?"

"Oh. We are just beginning our little talk, mortals."

Mai's Current Room (Normally Atem's Room)

Mai watched Jounouchi with unease. She'd never seen him in that state before. "Jounouchi." She couldn't say much. "I still have my cards."

There, that brought out a smile. "Yeah, I do too." He looked through his cards and gave her back the harpies. "I owe you these back."

"Yes, my girls." She took them back, she wasn't going to leave her harpies if she was getting them back. "You can have your time card back too." As she handed it to him, he grabbed her hand. She looked at him.

"Mai Kujaku, I would never give you or Mana away to anyone. What happened, I have no control over." His hands trembled. "There's a lot at stake. A god put you up for stake because of Mana."

Mana. "What about her?"

"In the past, she was a sorceress kind of person," Jounouchi admitted. "She controlled Dark Magician Girl."

"What?" Really? "Dark Magician Girl?"

"Yeah and it made you look . . . appetizing." He pulled her closer to his embrace, not giving a damn about the cards between them. "You're up for grabs, Mai, this evil Pharaoh guy Set did this. He'll drag both of you away if Yuugi and Atem don't win a game."

Drag away? "That won't happen."

"If it does, it will be over my dead body first because I don't care if it's some sanctioned winning! I'll never let you go that easy." He stole a kiss. "I love you, Mai."

Mai had her index finger lightly on her mouth. It really is the end of the world. Jounouchi wasn't caring about the speed anymore at all between them. What did matter was just . . . surviving and being with each other. At the end. She touched the side of his neck. "You have some kind of hieroglyph on your neck."

"Yeah. Crazy cat god lady bit me," Jounouchi said. "Bit Mahado too. He's a little upset about that. We weren't made to be a lion's chew toy." He rubbed it. "It's a hieroglyph, huh? Wonder what it says. What can you see on it?"

She leaned closer. "I see a hand and an eye . . ." Oh, Jounouchi had used it to bring her closer again. There was only one thing he was wanting right now, and it wasn't to argue about whether they were friends or not. Apocalypse. Why the hell not?

Yuugi's Room

Mokuba barely moved in the bed. He was in grief and in pain. He had no idea where Seto had been, and his pain from being shot was coming back, like it was long overdue.

"Mokuba."

He blinked his eyes and saw Satiah. "Oh. I'm not feeling so good."

"Yes. I had to leave for a bit." She came over toward him and kissed him on the forehead. "I am dealing with a great many things, but I still remembered you too. How are you?" She stroked his hair. "I can't get over how big you still got. If we were in ancient Egypt, you'd probably already be settled with kids. If not yet, almost."

"Really?" Mokuba asked. "I guess. You were probably young." He watched Anzu come in. "Hi, Anzu."

"Hi." Anzu stepped in slowly. "Hey, Mokuba. What's up?" She rubbed her ear. "Pretty sure Kaiba will be coming soon. Maybe tomorrow."

"Really? Ah, that makes me feel better." Mokuba watched her grab a seat and sit down next to Satiah.

"We've all come a long way, haven't we?" Anzu pointed out. "When we first met, you were trying to kill us with Seto Kaiba in Death-T."

"Uh." Mokuba looked uncomfortable. "I. Seto was in control of that, it wasn't in my hands."

"But you didn't want to stop it either, you still stayed beside your brother no matter what he did." Anzu shook her head. "Atem changed Seto Kaiba, so I guess, that helped you too."

"Uuh?" Mokuba stared at Anzu.

"Her mind has been mishmash. She's been shown things and knows things that is harder for her to comprehend. Anzu isn't Anzu quite right now."

"I-" Anzu looked away.

Satiah smirked at Mokuba. "Would you like to know a secret?"

"No, no, no, not him first," Anzu insisted.

Anzu. You saw what I saw. You see what I see. Everyone there, is here. A sign of things to happen, they were all around. Even the brats, I bet they were here somewhere. Did you recognize any?

There were some less than nice kids, I think, that kind of followed Mokuba at first. Might have. Sort of. Yes, some of the brats are here too.

Everything was full circle. If the change hadn't come, we knew the end would be coming now. Satiah patted her hand. "This is the way it has to be. Not as monsters. You remember now. How to make the best out of a tough situation?" She nodded. "Then keep that in your heart. And?"

"Accept it." Anzu looked toward Mokuba. "I know your brother will get here soon. Have a nice talk with Satiah. I should go."

Hallway

Bakura fell asleep in Satiah's room. Jounouchi and Mai were . . . making sounds which meant Atem's room wasn't available. Mokuba was sleeping in Yuugi's room. Anzu and Satiah were both in Anzu's room. I guess there's no room to talk this out. Yuugi looked toward Atem. I mean, how do we really know for sure this isn't an elaborate board of his? I'm going to go see if Bakura is asleep and see what he's up to. If there was trickery, Yuugi had to know. He didn't knock as he opened Satiah's door, where Bakura should be asleep.

Bakura was at the end table, sleeping. All around him was . . .

Atem came in beside him and picked up the papers one by one. He has worked extra hard. He could have just locked the door or left, instead of putting in this effort, if he were up to something.

Yuugi started picking up the papers too. He's trying to draw plans. This has the areas he's responsible for.

"Stop it," Ryou Bakura's voice in his sleep. "Stop it." Bakura's voice. He whined and trembled. "Gotta keep . . . no!" He woke up, looked at his papers and started to work again. He hadn't even noticed their presence. He was tired, run-down, and his eyes were red and puffy. It took him a minute before he noticed them. "What do you want?" Bakura's voice. Then, it went back to Ryou Bakura's voice. "Sleep. Yes. Take the floor and bed behind. I'm still working. I have my own place anyhow. I just."

Bakura looked back at the papers. "I need a name. It sounds terrible, but I need a way so that people know when they are in my part and Hanasake's and a next area over 'cause living is different in each. I can't think of one. I could call it Bakura's but I don't want this." Ryou Bakura's voice again. "Any of this. I don't want my name marked down with this. So, maybe like areas? Area 1: Grocery store. It sounds terrible though, it won't stand the test of time. Grocery." Then he conked out again.

What do you think, Yuugi? He is absolutely committed to this role. Or it's no role.

I don't know and I hate that! It's hard to tell, with Bakura's games, you can still feel pain. You can still die. You and Satiah have bodies. And? I mean, a cat goddess is helping us with a lion goddess that talks? None of the other gods talked. None of the other gods just showed up without being summoned. Ever. Bakura though. He seemed genuine. I wish I knew for certain, Other Me.

I don't know, but we need to find a place to rest, until we figure out this arrangement.

Yeah, I wouldn't feel comfortable sleeping behind Bakura. I'll get some bedding and we can just sleep wherever.

By the front security door then. Tomorrow, I need to start to become familiar enough with every game in the shop. The better we know what they plan on using for inspiration, the better we will do.

Agreed. Atem? Are you as worried about the women as me though?

Anzu and Masika, there is something different to their bet, something that made Masika tell us to back off.

I'm really worried. Maybe we should see them before bed?

We shouldn't pry yet, Yuugi. Masika said in time they would tell us. They should receive that time. Our main concern should be finding Kaiba, Shizuka, and telling Bakura tomorrow about it.

Right. Twenty four hours. We can't afford to mess that up.